Colin’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2012)

Colin’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

Colin wrote: "Jonny wrote: "I'd thought the route in was planned to avoid most of the Kammhuber Line defences? If they were intercepted on the way in I'd have thought it couldn't have been by more than one or tw..."

Jonny wrote: "Colin wrote: "Jonny wrote: "I'd thought the route in was planned to avoid most of the Kammhuber Line defences? If they were intercepted on the way in I'd have thought it couldn't have been by more ..."

Jonny wrote: "Colin wrote: "Jonny wrote: "I'd thought the route in was planned to avoid most of the Kammhuber Line defences? If they were intercepted on the way in I'd have thought it couldn't have been by more ..."

Jonny wrote: "Colin wrote: "Jonny wrote: "I'd thought the route in was planned to avoid most of the Kammhuber Line defences? If they were intercepted on the way in I'd have thought it couldn't have been by more ..."

They wanted to avoid the layered the flak belts that were already established, you are correct.

Jonny wrote: "I'd thought the route in was planned to avoid most of the Kammhuber Line defences? If they were intercepted on the way in I'd have thought it couldn't have been by more than one or two fighters, mo..."

The night fighters went up, but due to the route alteration and the use of "window", as well as a diversionary raid, the Luftwaffe was not successful in their intercepts. Another reason why Goering ""wanted a word" with Falck and Kammhuber. This particular raid really caught the Germans off guard, as many were scrambled only after the bombs began to fall. Only a few on routine patrol had any contact, but fuel limitations prevented any success. Falck called it "embarrasing to say the least".

Technically speaking, the Seven Years War (French and Indian War in USA) was the first true world war, where Britain, France, Holland, Spain all became involved using sea and land power to bolster their global colonial ambitions. Austria, Prussia, the Italian city states and even Sweden and Russia had their moments.

Jonny wrote: "Colin wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Marc wrote: "So, I went on a bit of an Amazon bender this morning and these should be trickling in over the next week or so:

[bookcover:Peenemunde Raid: The Night of ..."

JG-300 hit them on the way out, along with several radar equipped units such as NJG-1, 2, 4 and 6. Hajo received the alert by telephone as the bombers passed over one route skirting the North Sea. They had already been enaged by the prviously mentioned units, as the target was thought to be Berlin, which makes sense. Wolf Falck was also involved in this with Kammhuber, and this one raid in particular forced Falck and Kammhuber to have a serious heart to heart with Goering. See my book Night Fighters.

Not sure if this qualifies, but my book The German Aces Speak II has the full interview with Erich Hartmann, who returned to Germany after 10.5 years in the gulags. I have many interviews with former POWs in the USSR that are yet to be published. My late friend Hajo Herrmann, also 10.5 years in Siberia has his English autobiography, Eagle's Wings that covers this subject also.

I was lucky enough to interview some USA and German WW I vets, mostly pilots, with the exception of Ernst Junger (Pour le Merite) many years ago. Never got a UK/Empire guy though.

Albert Speer had the same problem when he took over Organization Todt, feeding his slave laborers. Speer wanted better rations and conditions, so they could be more productive. According to Karl Wolff, Himmler said "Just use up the ones you have, we can always get more." Stalin had the same opinion of his gulag prisoners.

Manray9 wrote: "Marc wrote: "So, I went on a bit of an Amazon bender this morning and these should be trickling in over the next week or so:

[bo..."

Several men I knew flew on that raid, Luftwaffe pilot Hajo Herrmann was leading his newly formed JG-300 "Wilde Sau" night fighters (see my book Night Fighters), and was headed toward Peenemunde when he was radio contacted not to fly into the "top secret" airspace, despite the Lancasters hitting it. Then Goering raised hell with him for not engaging sooner.

My interviews with Paul Tibbets, Cahrles "Chuck" Sweeney, Jimmy Doolittle, and Curtis LeMay (among others) provided their opinions on the two bombs, and people fail to understand that the Japs were warned in advance to "surrender or suffer a new and terrible weapon." Hubris has a price.

Marc wrote: "Lawrence Brent Rogers wrote: "Marc wrote: "Lawrence Brent Rogers wrote: "Just finished:

Now..."

US subs sank almost 90% of the Japanese ships, but were only 3% of the US Naval force. I met Fluckey, Medal of Honor recipient, good man.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I liked this description about Eric Brown and the small escort carrier 'Audacity' from the book; "The War in the West":

"Now about to join Empire Audacity, Brown and his fellow pilots were told th..."

I met and had a short interview with Eric Brown, and my friend, former Luftwaffe Me-262 pilot Jorg Czypionka (still alive and well) and he were friends for decades after the war. After the surrender, Jorg taught Brown how to fly the 262.

Also consider the Greek Civil War that exploded between the two factions of ELAM and EDES, among others. After fighting Germans, they turned on each other.

I knew General Matthew Ridgeway, who also knew MacArthur, and replaced him in Korea. Very interesting discussion on that subject.

Djilas was a great interview, he was a walking history book on the affairs of state and war during that time period. I consider my collection of interviews with Germans, Chetniks, "Partisans" (my book "German Anti-Partisan Warfare" has my trashing this term regarding Tito for obvious reasons) as some of the best.

Working on my next book on airmen in the ETO, another set of full interviews.

For those interested in WW I in Africa, my book "Four War Boer" has several chapters about Pieter Krueler fighting as a South African volunteer with the Germans under Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck in the East Africa campaign.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "This arrived at the Post Office box today, nice addition to my library:

[book:Panzer Baron: The Military Expl..."

The Manteuffel family was first mentioned in the nobility roles of Pomerania in 1287, and my family has a distant relative connection.

April 'Stacy' wrote: " [book:Beyond the Call: The True Story of One World War II Pilot's..."

Two of my interviews with Doolittle Raiders are important to this topic, they landed in Russia after bombing Tokyo, and were interned, until they escaped through Iran. I also interviewed some USAAF pilots, especially Col. Donald Blakeslee, whose reception by the Soviets during the first escort shuttle mission to the USSR in June 1944 was met with a less than warm reception, guns drawn and all. Upon his return he marched right in to Gen. Doolittle's office and made a fire storm about it.

Most do not know that the Gustloff had the highest number of lives ever lost at sea, over 9,000.